Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belmopan and Belize City

For one person, living is cheaper in Belmopan: $1,072 a month against $1,236 in Belize City, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Belize City
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Belize City Living Index

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Belmopan

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,072

/mo nomad

Belize City

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belmopan and in Belize City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Belmopan and in Belize City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,072 in Belmopan versus $1,236 in Belize City.

Belmopan $1,072
Belize City $1,236

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,545 in Belmopan versus $1,798 in Belize City.

Belmopan $1,545
Belize City $1,798

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,019 in Belmopan versus $2,360 in Belize City.

Belmopan $2,019
Belize City $2,360

Living in Belmopan costs roughly 13% less than in Belize City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belmopan 21% lower, Belize City 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 BZD 14.76

$6.40 BZD 12.81

15.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.60 BZD 35.21

$49.73 BZD 99.5

-64.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.55 BZD 15.11

$9.65 BZD 19.30

-21.76%

Cappuccino

$5.63 BZD 11.27

$3.59 BZD 7.17

56.82%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 BZD 1.29

$1.72 BZD 3.44

-62.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 BZD 1.04

$1.41 BZD 2.83

-63.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 BZD 3.04

$2.59 BZD 5.17

-41.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 BZD 4.56

$3.06 BZD 6.13

-25.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 BZD 4.67

$3.68 BZD 7.36

-36.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 BZD 3.22

$2.51 BZD 5.03

-35.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 BZD 3.32

$3.45 BZD 6.91

-51.88%

Eggs

$1.89 BZD 3.79

$3.65 BZD 7.30

-48.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 BZD 17.22

$6.54 BZD 13.08

31.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 BZD 13.55

$9.80 BZD 19.61

-30.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.27 BZD 24.54

$9.11 BZD 18.22

34.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 BZD 5.39

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 BZD 2.14

$1.85 BZD 3.70

-42.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 BZD 4.35

$2.70 BZD 5.40

-19.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 BZD 10.82

$3.01 BZD 6.02

79.73%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 BZD 8.12

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 BZD 5.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 BZD 4.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 BZD 3.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 BZD 9.05

Wine (Bottle)

$17.56 BZD 35.12

$9.93 BZD 19.87

76.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 BZD 4.48

$2.38 BZD 4.76

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 BZD 4.60

$2.02 BZD 4.04

13.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 BZD 7.89

$4.03 BZD 8.06

-1.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 BZD 6.45

$4.92 BZD 9.85

-34.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.97 BZD 7.95

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 BZD 3.55

$2.49 BZD 4.98

-28.51%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$10.7K BZD 21.4K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$147 BZD 293

$376 BZD 753

-61.08%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$49.01 BZD 98.0

$50.3 BZD 101

-2.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.85 BZD 77.7

$27.00 BZD 54.0

43.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.85 BZD 89.7

$24.75 BZD 49.51

81.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.45 BZD 4.89

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 BZD 18.12

$5.07 BZD 10.15

78.70%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$65.5 BZD 131

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$684 BZD 1,369

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.81 BZD 65.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 BZD 49.90

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.57 BZD 75.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.85 BZD 75.7

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 BZD 891

$344 BZD 687

29.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 BZD 653

$193 BZD 386

69.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 BZD 1,127

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 BZD 1,110

$321 BZD 641

73.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$849 BZD 1,698

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Belmopan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Belize City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belmopan

–

Belize City

$454 36.7%

Groceries & Markets

Belmopan

–

Belize City

$318 25.8%

Accommodation & Living

Belmopan

–

Belize City

$193 15.6%

Eating Out

Belmopan

–

Belize City

$155 12.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Belmopan

–

Belize City

$60 4.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Belmopan

–

Belize City

$35 2.8%

Getting Around

Belmopan

–

Belize City

$21 * 1.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $446 in Belmopan and $344 in Belize City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18 in Belmopan vs $50 in Belize City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $318 per month, with Belmopan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇿 Belmopan

🇧🇿 Belize City

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

Same time as Belmopan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,000 Capital

63,999

💱 Currency

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.448 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Belmopan Belize City 67 km

From you

Belmopan
Belize City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Belmopan vs Belize City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belmopan wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Belize City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Belmopan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,608 in Belmopan and $1,854 in Belize City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $446 in Belmopan versus $344 in Belize City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,072 per month in Belmopan versus $1,236 in Belize City – Belmopan is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Belize City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Belmopan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.